**Shakhtar Donetsk enters the 2026-27 Ukrainian Premier League as defending champions with the league’s deepest squad, strongest financial backing, and proven European experience, which underpins traders’ overwhelming 83.5% implied probability for the title.** Early-season results show Polissya Zhytomyr topping the table after seven rounds with 18 points, ahead of Shakhtar’s 15 from six matches, yet historical patterns favor the Donetsk club’s ability to pull away over a full campaign. Epitsentr Kamianets-Podilskyi’s elevated 26.6% reflects a solid mid-table start and recent momentum, while lower single-digit probabilities for LNZ Cherkasy, FC Kharkiv, Karpaty Lviv, Dynamo Kyiv, and others align with their more limited resources and inconsistent recent form against top competition. No major injuries or transfers have yet altered the established hierarchy, keeping the market consensus anchored on Shakhtar’s long-term edge despite the competitive opening weeks.